About The Author

Ralph Maughan

Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan's Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of "Hiking Idaho." He also wrote "Beyond the Tetons" and "Backpacking Wyoming's Teton and Washakie Wilderness." He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.

4 Responses to Rocky Barker's blog: Another elk rancher angers neighbors in eastern Idaho.

  1. Mike Post says:

    This is just another example of why game farming is counter-productive. The overall impact of game farm operations is entirely negative:
    1) it gives legitimate fair chase hunting a black eye and provides anti-hunting forces “evidence” to support draconian hunting restrictions
    2) it provides opportunities for non-native species to escape and breed with native species
    3) these farms can become islands of infection for diseases that effect wildlife AND cattle
    4) they provide an “easy” alternative to using legitimate fair chase guide services and thus damage local outfitters and the local economy
    5) they produce unnatural “trophies” with their supplemental feeding, predator removals, and so called “management” hunts to remove genetically inferior animals
    6) shooting an animal inside a game farm enclosure, be it 5 acres or 500, is a cowardly and shamefull act that denigrates every true wilderness hunter in America

    There are many of us long time traditional hunters that hate this kind of wildlife exploitation. Shut ’em all down.

  2. Mack P. Bray says:

    Has Idaho ever has an initiative on the ballot to shut-down/buy-out/ban new shooter operations?

  3. No.

    There has been a lot of talk about one by some conservation and hunting organizations, but the sad truth is that in United States today hardly any group can get an initiative on the ballot unless they hire a signature-gathering company.

    So the monied interests have the great advantage.

  4. John says:

    I personally take offense that these shooter operations are even remotely connected to Hunting. Fair chase hunting is the only way to hunt! I can tell you that 99% of hunters feel the same way, an If these were not so protected in this state by the Ag industry they would be gone! Hunters don’t want them here for many of the reasons already mentioned. If it were up to the people they would go away quickley.

Calendar

September 2007
S M T W T F S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
30  

Quote

‎"At some point we must draw a line across the ground of our home and our being, drive a spear into the land and say to the bulldozers, earthmovers, government and corporations, “thus far and no further.” If we do not, we shall later feel, instead of pride, the regret of Thoreau, that good but overly-bookish man, who wrote, near the end of his life, “If I repent of anything it is likely to be my good behaviour."

~ Edward Abbey

%d bloggers like this: